BEARPAW

BEARPAW is best understood as the value-minded sheepskin option. Both BEARPAW and UGG produce very similar sheepskin boots, and BEARPAW has carved out a niche by offering that look at a lower price. If you wear sheepskin boots occasionally or mostly around the house, BEARPAW gives you comfortable warmth for less; for heavy daily winter wear, many shoppers feel a premium pair earns its keep.

For the price, it's a comfortable, warm sheepskin boot. The signature styles use sheepskin uppers and linings that keep feet cozy, and the brand was founded specifically to redefine casual footwear using sheepskin. As with most boots in this category, longevity tracks with how hard you wear them, so they reward occasional or light-to-moderate use more than daily punishment.

It's the sheepskin boot, the same silhouette commonly called an ugg boot. These come in a range of styles and colors and are what the brand is best known for. Beyond boots, BEARPAW also makes hiking boots, slippers, sneakers, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and children.

Yes. Starting in 2018, BEARPAW began producing vegan, non-sheepskin boots. Those styles use vegan microsuede made from polyester, a polyester-blend lining, and rubber outsoles, so shoppers who want the look without animal materials have a clear option within the same brand.

BEARPAW was founded by Tom Romeo in 2001. The stated purpose was to redefine casual footwear by using sheepskin to create comfortable, stylish boots, and the brand built its reputation in one of the most competitive corners of the footwear market.

It's an American brand, headquartered in California. The first BEARPAW retail store opened in Citrus Heights, California, in 2011, which is where the company is based.

In the sheepskin-footwear segment, its principal rivals are UGG Australia and EMU Australia, both of which make comparable sheepskin boots. BEARPAW positions itself as the more affordable entry into that same style, which is much of its appeal for first-time buyers.

Yes. In November 2010, Deckers Outdoor Corporation, which owns the UGG Australia brand, filed a lawsuit against BEARPAW alleging it copied UGG designs, since both make very similar sheepskin boots. The litigation was resolved mutually by both parties in February 2012.

It has. In June 2018, BEARPAW acquired Flip Flop Shops, a brand previously owned by Cherokee Inc. That sits alongside the brand's own range, which already spans slippers, sneakers, hiking boots, apparel, and accessories in addition to its core sheepskin boots.

Sheepskin is naturally warm but sensitive to water and salt, so the practical approach is to protect them before wearing, blot spills rather than soaking them, and let them air-dry away from direct heat. The brand's vegan polyester-and-rubber styles are generally more forgiving in wet or messy conditions if low-maintenance is your priority.